The present invention relates generally to printers and paper transport mechanisms, and more particularly to a ticket printer with reading, validating, paper transport and ticket voiding features. Such printers are particularly well suited for use in gaming machines, vending machines, point-of-sale (POS) terminals, transportation and entertainment ticket machines, and the like.
Ticket or voucher printers are useful in a variety of applications. One such application is to print coded tickets or vouchers used in lottery terminals, slot machines and other self-service wagering apparatus. While various printer technologies are well known, such as inkjet and laser printers, thermal printers are currently preferred in such applications for their speed and reliability. Accordingly, the present invention will be described in connection with a thermal printing implementation, although it should be understood that this is by way of example only, and virtually any other type of printer may be used in implementing the invention.
Various printer systems have been proposed for use in self-service terminals, such as for cashless gaming systems used, e.g., at casinos and racetracks. In such systems, a ticket (alternatively referred to herein as a xe2x80x9cvoucherxe2x80x9d) is provided to the gaming patron for use instead of, e.g., tokens, cash, debit cards and credit cards. It is well known to use tokens in gambling casinos. For example, in a typical gaming machine environment, a player inserts coins or tokens and plays the game. When the player is finished and has a winning cash amount, a cash-out button is pressed and the appropriate number of coins or tokens is dispensed in a cash out bin. It is awkward, however, to deal with such tokens and to cash them in before leaving the casino.
The use of credit and debit cards has been proposed as an alternative to tokens. However, there has existed a strong public policy against allowing persons to be able to access their full credit limit for gambling purposes.
Other approaches have used magnetically striped cards in which a cash value is stored. Such cards (sometimes also referred to as vouchers or tickets) have been used in gaming systems as well as in transportation systems, particularly various subway systems. Once the cash value of the card is used up it can be refilled, or the card can be discarded and a new one purchased.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,832 to Saunders et al. issued on Jan. 11, 2000 for xe2x80x9cCashless Peripheral Device For A Gaming Systemxe2x80x9d discloses, as part of a gaming system, a ticket printer that prints a coded value, such as a bar code, on a ticket in response to a cash-out signal from the gaming system. The ticket is then passed to a reader which reads the coded value printed on the ticket. If the printed value corresponds to the value which should have been printed, a ticket-out transport delivers the printed ticket to the player cashing out from the gaming system. However, if the printed value does not correspond to the correct value, the ticket is held without dispensing to the player. Instead, the ticket is held in place by the ticket-out transport, a message is displayed that a malfunction has occurred, and an alarm message is delivered to summon an attendant to immediately visit the machine. The invalid ticket is firmly held to prevent the player from receiving it.
The system described in the ""832 patent requires attention by an attendant any time the coded value read from the just printed ticket does not match the value that was supposed to be printed. There is no way to determine if the reader simply incorrectly read the coded value, or if the coded value is really wrong. If the coded value is wrong, there is no disclosure of how to handle the invalid ticket, other than simply holding it. There is no way for a patron to receive the ticket once the reader determines (correctly or incorrectly) that the coded value is wrong. Absent direct attention from an attendant (who has to open the machine, diagnose the problem, and deal with a customer who may be aggravated and become upset that valuable time is being wasted), there is no way to recover from a malfunction (which may be something as simple as an incorrect reading of a valid coded value). Still further, the gaming machine will be out of commission while the attendant is being summoned and is fixing the machine. This will cause the machine owner to lose revenue, which can add up to a significant amount over time, particularly in facilities that operate a large number of such gaming machines.
It would be advantageous to provide a better way for validating tickets, vouchers or the like after printing without the need to shut down the terminal using the printer immediately after an initial invalidity determination. It would be further advantageous to provide a printer for gaming machines, vending machines and other terminals that print tickets, vouchers or the like, that has the ability to overcome apparent printing errors without summoning an attendant in the first instance, e.g., if the initial invalidity determination is wrong. It would be still further advantageous to provide a method for printing and validating, as well as associated printer apparatus, that enables tickets, vouchers or the like which are found to be invalid to be immediately voided.
The present invention provides a printer and associated methods for printing, validating, voiding, and processing substrates of value, all having the above and other advantages.
In accordance with the present invention, methods are provided for printing and validating a document, such as a ticket or voucher printed on a substrate such as paper. After the document is printed, at least a portion thereof is read to test a validity criteria. The document is dispensed to a recipient if the validity criteria is met. If the validity criteria is not met, the document is voided.
The reading step can be repeated at least once before the document is voided. In this manner, the document for which the reading step has been repeated can be dispensed to the recipient as a valid document if the validity criteria is met after a repeated reading step. On the other hand, if the document is not found to be valid on the final re-read, it is voided. In a preferred embodiment, the portion of the document which is read to test the validity criteria comprises a bi-directional code, such as a bar code. The re-reading of the bi-directional code during the repeating step can therefore be performed in an opposite direction than the initial reading of the code.
The voiding step can, for example, void the document by printing voiding indicia thereon. The voiding indicia can either partially or completely obliterate a bar code, for example, or can print the word VOID across the document in a manner which will prevent any further use thereof.
After voiding, the voided document can be dispensed to the recipient. Alternatively, the voided document can be held (e.g., in the printer or the printer transport mechanism) without dispensing it.
The document can comprise, e.g., a wagering ticket or voucher, a ticket for admission to an event, or a ticket for use in a pubic transportation system.
Printer apparatus is also disclosed in accordance with the present invention. The printer has document verification, dispensing and voiding features, and includes various components, including a transport, a print module and a read module. The print module is used to print indicia on a substrate (e.g., paper) carried by the transport. The read module reads at least a portion of the indicia to test a validity criteria. The transport dispenses the printed substrate to a recipient if the validity criteria is met, and transports the printed substrate to be voided if the validity criteria is not met.
In an illustrated embodiment of the invention, the transport transports the printed substrate back to the print module, if necessary, to be voided. For example, the transport can be a bi-directional transport, which reverses direction to transport the substrate back to the print module. The print module then voids the substrate by printing voiding indicia thereon.
The read module can be implemented to re-read the substrate prior to voiding same. The transport can then dispense the re-read substrate to the recipient as a valid substrate if the validity criteria is met upon the re-reading.
In the illustrated embodiment, the print module comprises a thermal print head and the substrate comprises thermal print paper. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to any particular type of printer or substrate. Moreover, without limitation, the printed substrate can be a wagering ticket or voucher and the read module can comprise a bar code reader.
The printer apparatus can also include a controller coupled to control the printing, reading and transport functions. The controller can reside, for example, on a printed circuit board which is packaged with the other printer components. The controller can actuate the transport to dispense the voided substrate to said recipient. Alternatively, the controller can cause the transport to hold the voided substrate without dispensing it.
In one embodiment, the controller communicates results of the validity criteria test to a remote processor. The remote processor can comprise, for example, a processor provided in a terminal or the like (e.g., self-service wagering terminal) that contains the printer. Alternatively, the remote processor can comprise a host computer that is coupled to the printer apparatus. Such coupling can be provided either directly between the controller and the remote processor, or via the apparatus (e.g., wagering terminal or the like) of which the printer apparatus is a component. Coupling to a host computer can be accomplished in a conventional manner, such as through a private communications network or the Internet.
After communicating the validity results to the remote processor, the controller will wait for instructions (based on the validity results) from the remote processor. The controller will then actuate at least one of the print module, read module and transport in response to the received instructions. The instructions may, for example, instruct the controller to re-read the indicia before voiding the substrate, and to dispense the substrate to the recipient as a valid substrate if the validity criteria are met after re-reading. The instructions may also instruct the controller to dispense a void substrate after voiding. Alternatively, the instructions may instruct the controller to hold a voided substrate without dispensing it. The controller will then actuate the necessary printer apparatus components to comply with the instructions.